Custom Flights Booking Terms and Conditions

Please read the following booking conditions carefully. All charter flight bookings are made and accepted subject to these conditions.

1. Your contract is with Custom Flights Ltd. ATOL no. 9186

Custom Flights registered offices are at Suite 1, Paramount House, 77 Mutley Plain Lane, Mutley, Plymouth, PL4 7DS. It is agreed by both parties that this contract is deemed to have been made at our offices and is subject to the laws of England and any dispute or claim under it will be submitted to the English courts. When you book a flight with us you accept responsibility for the proper conduct of you and your party. We reserve the right to terminate your holiday or that of any member of your party due to misconduct. If you or a member of your party causes delay or diversion to any transport arrangement you agree to indemnify us fully against any claim. Please note that any travel agent involved in arranging a booking for your holiday acts as your agent until this contract comes into existence. Thereafter any money held by your travel agent is held by them on our behalf.

 2. Making your reservation

(a) Once we accept your booking orally, in writing, electronically or via a Travel Agent and issue a booking reference number, a contract comes in to existence between us incorporating these conditions. Until that point if a travel agent is involved they are the clients agent and we accept no responsibility for any monies paid, once the booking has been confirmed by issuing the booking reference number the agent becomes Custom Flights Ltd agent and all monies paid for the flight seats are our responsibility.
(b) If your booking is accepted more than ten weeks before departure a deposit of £75 per person in part payment of the price of your holiday is payable within 7 days of the acceptance of your booking together with any insurance premium payable. The balance is payable not less than ten weeks before departure.
(c) If your booking is accepted within ten weeks of departure full payment for your holiday is due at the time the booking.
(d) If we do not receive the deposit and/or the final payment by their due dates we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled and levy cancellation charges.

Please note that you will not receive a reminder that final payment is due and those cheques must be received in sufficient time to allow for clearance by the due date for payment.

 3. The price of your transport arrangements

Custom Flights reserves the right to raise or lower its advertised prices and such prices do not constitute an offer. If prices do alter you will be advised of the revised price prior to you making a booking. We have the right to correct any obvious errors in advertised or confirmed prices.

The price includes:
(a) Return flights to your destination. We reserve the right to levy a fee for in-flight catering. This will be indicated at the time of booking and any catering will be appropriate to the destination and cultural tradition of airlines country or the destination.
(b) All airport taxes and passenger charges (Except for Ticket on Departure charge of £12.00 and Fuel charge of £35).
(c) Free baggage allowance on European charter flights of 20Kgs* per person and one piece of hand luggage weighing under 5kgs and being an appropriate size to fit into the onboard lockers (*some airlines restrict baggage to 15kgs)

Additional costs:
(a) A Ticket on Departure Charge if tickets are collected at the airport.
(b) For overseas originating/inbound to the UK seat sales our overseas representative may levy a local ticketing charge.
(c) Holiday Insurance. You must take out the Holiday Insurance we offer or one that offers the same of greater protection.
(d) Due to the recent terrorist incidents and subsequent increased security levels, it has been deemed necessary by the insurance industry and the relevant authorities to charge an Aviation Security Levy (ASL). This is shown as a separate cost on the invoice.
(e) Additional charges are sometimes levied by airlines in respect of luggage in excess of your standard allowance detailed on your ticket and special catering requirements. Airlines may also levy a charge on certain items of luggage such as golf clubs, skis, snowboards, cycles, windsurf equipment etc.
(f) In-flight catering in certain circumstances. (This will be indicated prior to booking)
(g) An arrival tax of £10 is payable on arrival in Turkey, to be paid in Sterling.
(h) Car hire: Car hire details as shown in our brochure are subject to separate booking conditions, available on request. Holiday Autos and Custom Flights Ltd. act as agents for overseas car hire companies.
(i) Passport and visa charges if necessary.
(j) Car parking at UK airports: Details available on our web site www.customflights.co.uk and are subject to separate booking conditions, copies are available on request.

Prices are fixed at the time of booking and will generally not be subject to surcharges. The price of your travel arrangements is subject to surcharges for increases in transportation costs (e.g. fuel). Another exception to this is an increase in costs arising as a result of any government action including but not limited to new or increased taxes such as VAT. Also, all U.K. and overseas airport tax/security levy are beyond our control and will be passed on to the client.

 4. If you change your booking

If after we have issued the written confirmation, and you want to change your flight, we will do our best to meet your requirements. If the charge involves a reduction in the number of persons travelling then see section 5. Any other change outside 42 days of departure will incur an administration charge of £50 per passenger. For all changes, except for a name change, within 42 days of departure see section 5 below.
For Name Changes, the following charges apply:

More than 28 days: £50
Between 0-28 days: £50

Please note that you cannot change all the names on a booking. If you want to change all the names, cancellation charges will apply.

For any other amendments, cancellation charges apply.

 5. If you cancel your booking

If you wish to cancel your booking or on behalf of any other member of your party, written notice must be sent to our offices by recorded delivery, fax (08700 626001) or e-mail (sales@customflights.co.uk), followed by verbal confirmation within 48 hours by calling 08700 626000 The cancellation is only effective from the date written notice of cancellation is received in our offices. In the event of cancellation charges apply: (Any administration charges incurred, for whatever reason prior to the cancellation of a booking must be paid in full when the booking is cancelled.)

Period before departure date that letter is received; cancellation charges are a percentage of the total booking cost (excluding insurance)

More than 43 days	Loss of deposit
Between 42 - 29 days	50% cancellation charge
Between 28 - 8 days	85% cancellation charge
Between 7 days - departure date	100% cancellation charge

 6. If we alter your booking

The flights in our brochures are planned many months in advance and occasionally we have to make changes to your flight. We reserve the right to make such changes for any reason whatsoever at any time. Most changes are of a minor nature and we will advise you or your travel agent of them as soon as possible before your departure or your return. Flight timings and departure airports are for guidance only. The details as then known will be stated on your tickets that should be checked when you receive them. Any changes to your flight will fall in to one of the categories below.

Minor change:
(a) Change of time of departure or return flight by less than 12 hours. (b) Change between London airports of Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow or Stansted and where a coach transfer is provided, or between Scottish airports of Glasgow, Prestwick or Edinburgh where a coach transfer is provided. (c) Change to the flight plan that involves the aircraft stopping at an airport enroute to your destination.

If we advise you of a minor change you may cancel your booking but full cancellation charges will apply, in accordance with clause 5, compensation payments will not apply.

Major change:
(a) Change of time of departure or return flight by more than 12 hours from the original time.
(b) Change of UK departure airport (except between Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow or Stansted, or between Glasgow, Prestwick or Edinburgh where a coach transfer is provided.)
(c) Change of resort airport.

Should you decide not to accept a major change that is advised to you prior to your departure you may cancel your booking within either 7 days of the receipt of notification thereof, or 3 days of the receipt of notification thereof if departure is within 7 days of the notification of the change, but no later than the day before departure and we will refund all monies paid by you unless a more suitable flight becomes available in the interim.

If we do not receive notification within these timescales we shall be entitled to assume the change has been accepted and no monies will be refunded. Your notification of cancellation must be sent to our operations department by recorded letter or facsimile. Compensation payments will only be made when a major change is accepted.

If we have to make a major change you will be offered the following maximum compensation per person. Infants are excluded from compensation and for children invoiced at reduced rates compensation will be paid on a pro rata basis of the adult price.

Period before scheduled departure date within which you or your Travel Agent receives notification of change

Compensation per person
More than 43 days	Nil
Between 42 - 29 days	£5.00
Between 28 - 15 days	£5.00
Between 14 - 8 days	£10.00
Between 7 days - departure date	£15.00

In the event of all of the above flight changes, where possible any car hire and car parking booked through Custom Flights will be changed to correspond accordingly with your current flight details, however on receipt of your car hire and car parking vouchers you should check that all details stated are up to date. If you have booked other travel arrangements independently of Custom Flights, it is your responsibility to notify these suppliers Custom Flights cannot be held liable for any amendment/cancellation fees levied. When you accept the change, the contract between us will be varied to incorporate the change.

 7. If we cancel you're booking

We will not cancel your booking after the date specified on the final invoice for payment of the full balance unless that balance has not been paid or such cancellation is due to reasons beyond our control as detailed in clause 7. For the purpose of this section a cancellation includes a change of flight time of more than 24 hours or a change of airport to one, which is substantially less accessible to you. (This excludes changes between Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted or Glasgow, Prestwick and Edinburgh where coach transfers are offered). If we are forced to cancel your booking for any reason after the date on which final payment is due then we will offer an alternative flight (if available) or make a full refund of all monies paid (excluding administrative fees for name changes, duration changes, etc) if either there is no alternative flight or the alternative offered is unacceptable to you.

8. Force Majeure

We cannot accept liability in any circumstances where performance and/or prompt performance of the contract is prevented by reason of war, threat of war, UK or non UK government action, riots, civil strife, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, non performace by airline, non availability of aircraft, financial collapse of airline, natural and nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, epidemic or health risk, technical problems to transport, closure or congestion of airports or ports or similar events beyond our control.

 9. Our responsibility to you

We accept responsibility for the acts and / or omissions of our employees, agents, and suppliers while acting within the scope of, or in the course of their employment with us. We also accept responsibility for any deficiencies in the services we are contractually obliged to provide, or the failure of such services to reach a reasonable standard. We do not accept responsibility in respect of death, bodily injury or illness of any person taking one of our flights, except when caused by the negligent acts and / or omissions of our employees, agents suppliers or sub contractors while acting within the scope of, or in the course of their employment, agency, contract of supplier or sub-contract. All our flights and arrangements have been purposely designed to allow for some un- scheduled changes. But you will appreciate we cannot be held responsible for changes outside our control resulting in a missed or delayed connection. At all time a representative or agent will be on hand to ensure that any problems are overcome as quickly as possible. We will give you what assistance we can to a client who through mishap suffers illness, personal injury or death during the period of the flight arising out of an activity which neither forms part of the flight arrangement, nor forms part of an excursion offered through Custom Flights.

 10. Check-In

Remember that flight timings advertised on our web site are for guidance only and are subject to change. It is important to check your flight details and times on receiving your tickets. The times quoted on your documentation are local times All passengers must check in at least 150 minutes (2 and a half hours) before the latest flight departure time advised by Custom Flights Ltd. regardless of any delay. Seats can be pre-booked at a fee of £20.00 on certain flights, please enquire for further details. (Please note certain seats e.g. Extra leg room often carry a premium in addition to £20 if they are pre-booked) Alternatively you should check in early as you are therefore more likely to get the seats of your choice. If your outbound is not utilised the inbound reservation is automatically cancelled. We will not be responsible if you arrive late for the specified check-in time or for the flight, nor can we accept any responsibility for any loss by you of your holiday travel tickets, vouchers or coupons.

There are a number of reasons for which you could be refused boarding or entry:
(a) If you arrive late for the specified check-in time. We accept no responsibility should you be unable to board the aircraft for any reason. Your ticket is not transferable.
(b) If you do not hold a valid passport and/or visa required for entry into or exit from the country of origin or destination or have insufficient funds (see clause 11) Please advise us if you are not a UK passport holder.
(c) If in the opinion of a person in authority you appear to be unfit to travel or likely to cause discomfort or disturbance to other passengers our responsibility for your holiday will immediately cease.
(d) If you fail to co-operate with airport authorities who have powers of stopping and searching persons or luggage under the UK Aviation and Security Act 1990.

In any of the above circumstances we will not be responsible for any costs you may incur nor will we make any refunds to you and any costs will be recharged to you.

 11. Documentation

If you are a British Citizen you must hold a valid 10-year British passport together with all necessary visas or other documentation for entry into or exit from the country of origin or destination. At the time of going to press there were no visa regulations for British Citizens to any of Custom Flights destinations. If you are not a British Citizen you must consult the Embassy of the countries you propose to visit for information and advice on the passport and visa requirements and you are liable for all charges incurred as a result of failure to comply with this provision. It is essential that the name and initial on the ticket match those on the passport. Please do not forget to take your flight tickets, invoice, insurance policy and any other relevant documents.

Your travel documentation issued by Custom Flights contains the latest information and you should check the details thoroughly. Your tickets are normally issued 5 days prior to departure but we reserve the right to issue tickets at the departure airport and these should be collected from our Airport representatives, (Along with the majority of Tour Operators We reserve the right to charge a Ticket on Departure charge of £12.00 per passenger which will be added to your invoice.). If payment is received late and this necessitates the issue of a T.O.D. we reserve the right to levy the £12 Ticket on Departure Charge.

 12. Special Requests

Should you have particular requirements, such as special meals, wheelchair assistance, or if you are taking windsurfing equipment, golf clubs, Ski's, cycle or children's pram/pushchair, please advise us when you make your booking and please note that some airlines may make an administration charge. Special requests are passed on by us to the relevant airline/air broker and cannot be guaranteed and we will not have any liability if they are not met. If you do not advise us of any special requests at the time of booking we reserve the right to charge an administration charge of £10.00.

 13. Infants

Infants travel at a charge of £50.00 European charter flights and £75.00 for Longhaul Charters (Sanford) if they do not occupy a seat. To be classed as an infant in accordance with Air Navigation regulations a child must be under 2 years of age on the date of their return flight. The Civil Aviation Authority has approved certain types of child car seats for use on British registered aircraft for infants, subject to the discretion of the airline and upon payment of the full-advertised price of the seat.

 14. Unaccompanied Minors

Some airlines will accept minors however interpretation of a minor’s age specification varies with each airline. Please check details when making your booking. It is the clients responsibility to ensure that Custom Flights are advised of minors travelling.

 15. Complaints

In the unlikely event that you have a complaint about any aspect of your holiday and in order that we have the opportunity to investigate any problems, any comments must be made in writing to us within 28 days of your return to the UK. Please write (quoting your reference no.) to: Customer Relations, Custom Flights Ltd., Suite 1, Paramount House, 77 Mutley Plain Lane, Mutley, Plymouth, PL4 7DS.

 16. Flight Reconfirmation

It is imperative and a strict condition of booking that you confirm your inbound flight details with either our local representatives office noted on your itinerary (not the local airport authorities who are renowned for giving out of date information) or our Head office on Tel no: 00 44 8700 626000 if you have any problems ringing our local office. Re-Confirmation should be not more than 48 hours* and no less than 18 hours prior to the previously notified flight time. (*72 hours if the reconfirmation period falls over a public holiday in either your country of origin or the country you are currently staying). Please be warned that some people rely on third parties (e.g. Hotel receptions) to re confirm their flights, the problem is either they do not reconfirm or do not reconfirm with our local representatives as detailed on the itinerary, so therefore we accept no liability for clients who fail to reconfirm in person and if you do rely on a third person and they give you the wrong information you will have to take it up with them and not us. The system is proven so please use as instructed.

 17. Flight Delays

Unfortunately there are occasions, completely beyond our control when a flight is delayed. We will try to do our utmost to keep you advised if a delay does arise, but you will appreciate that we cannot accept any liability for any expenses incurred by your selves in the event of a delay however severe. However Custom Flights insurance (insurance premiums which are shown in the insurance section) provides compensation in the event of an excessive delay or if you use a third parties policy please ensure that the cover is sufficient for your needs. To make a claim you must obtain written confirmation of the delay from the airline and then send it to your insurer with a claims form.

 18. Travel Insurance

It is compulsory that you take Insurance; obviously we would prefer you take our policy, which has sufficient cover, but if you do not take our policy please ensure that you take a policy of at least equal cover. Insurance is non-refundable and is excluded from the cancellation calculations. We cannot be liable if you or your agent opts to take either no cover or inferior cover.

 19. Health Regulations

At the time of going to press there were no health regulations for any Custom Flights destinations. General standards of hygiene and safety in other countries may differ from those in the United Kingdom and you should therefore exercise greater care particularly with the choice of food and drink. If you are pregnant you should check with your Doctor before you travel. If you are more than 28 weeks pregnant at the time of your return flight airlines insist on a medical certificate stating you are fit to fly. If you are more than 32 weeks at the time of the return flight they may refuse to carry you. The Department of Health publishes leaflets on health advice and these are available from your Doctor or telephoning 0800 555777.

 20. D.V.T. (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

D.V.T. is known to affect people who are immobile for long periods of time. if you feel you are at risk, please consult your doctor prior to confirming your reservation, or go to the Department of Health's website on www.doh.gov.uk/dvt.

Alternatively, you can obtain a leaflet from the D.O.H. by calling 0800 555 777, or for advise call the NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

 21. Aircraft

The flights referred to in this brochure are planned and operated by the designated airline on specific aircraft many months in advance. We reserve the right to change airlines or aircraft types at any time.

 22. Civil Aviation Authority Regulations

C.A.A. regulations specify that both the outbound and inbound sectors of the air ticket must be used. If the outbound is not used, the passenger will not be allowed to travel home on the inbound flight. Should anyone check in less than 90 minutes before the ticketed departure time, admission to the flight is likely to be refused. Should anyone be refused admission to the flight or destination country by the airline or Government authority, and then we are powerless to assist and cannot be held responsible.

 23. Consumer Protection

The air holidays and flights in this brochure are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser's License granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 9186. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk